The Pristine in Fortress

07

Huh. Interesting.

Most of the participants started walking towards the doors to unknown while some already have formed a group, so I'm assuming that they already know each other. A team of maybe a group of friends. Nanatili muna ako doon at napatingin ako kay Azner. He didn't look like he has a plan yet and he didn't even look interested.

"Maybe we should wait for him to pick a door," rinig ko sa likoran ko kaya lumingon ako ng kaunti.

"Oo nga," another participant replied. "Ayaw kong pareho tayong papasokan na pinto, baka malasin pa tayo or worst-" she paused. "Maybe he'll kill us along the way," she whispered, and I frowned. These insolent bitches.

"Aren't you going to choose yet?" 

Napatingin ako sa gilid ko and I noticed a group of guys wearing expensive armors.

"You can come with us if you want," one of them suggested. 

"No, thank you," I declined politely.

"Can you at least tell us your name?" one of them asked.

"Val," tipid kong sagot at naglakad na ako palayo sa kanila. I should not be talking with enyone. It's risky.

Napatigil ang lahat nang naglakad si Azner papunta sa centrong pinto kung saan ni-isang tao walang pumasok. Gusto ko siyang sundan but that would be very obvious kaya naglakad na rin ako at pumasok sa kabilang door. I sighed at tumingin ako sa paligid. These walls are oddly clean.

Each step was getting heavier, and the hallway was getting darker. I continuerd to walk until the light from the door I just entered faded. I got startled when a torch suddenly lighted up on the wall just beside me. That scared me a little. I took a torch, and I began to venture once again. This time, the walls were dirty, and I can even feel the air passing through. There must be traps somewhere.

I stopped for a moment at tumingin ako sa gilid ko. A staircase. My gut is telling me not to enter but a part of me wants to take this path. With a deep breath, I turned to the side, and I found myself taking the staircase as my main path.  The cool air of the dungeon enveloped me, sending a shiver down her spine as she descended the narrow staircase leading further into the darkness. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay, a testament to the centuries that had passed since anyone had dared to tread these cursed halls. Cobwebs hung thickly from the ceiling, their silken strands glistening in the dim light like strands of fine silver.

"I should be expecting this from a dungeon, but still," I paused, and I sighed. "This is nerve-wracking," I added.

As I reached the bottom of the staircase, my torch illuminated a vast chamber stretching out before me. Pillars of stone rose from the floor, their ancient surfaces marked with intricate carvings and runes long forgotten by time. I moved cautiously through the chamber, my senses on high alert as I scanned my surroundings for any sign of danger. The faint sound of dripping water echoed in the distance, accompanied by the occasional scuttling of unseen creatures hiding in the shadows.

With each step, the darkness seemed to grow thicker, pressing in on me from all sides as I ventured deeper into the labyrinthine passages of the dungeon. The torch flickered uncertainly, casting eerie shadows that danced across the walls like specters in the night.

"Oh God, I should've followed Azner," reklamo ko.

Suddenly, I froze as a low growl echoed through the darkness. I raised my torch high, casting its light into the shadows ahead as I searched for the source of the sound. A glowing eye stared back at me from the darkness, its gaze filled with hunger and malice.